Ramsey Parsons (deceased)

Known aliases: Doctor Marvel, Marvel Whiteside, John Whiteside, John Parsons.

Ramsey Parsons was a noted psychic and magician in the 1920s. He first came to public attention as a teenager in 1901 when he helped solve a series of murder near his hometown of Hydesville, New York. In 1903 Parsons traveled to New York City and assisted the police with several investigations. At the same time he studied law and received a criminal investigator's license in 1905. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1906, but is not known to have ever practiced law. From 1906 to 1916 he is thought to have traveled throughout the world, though there is no public record of this and Parsons himself never commented on this time.

Through various associates of the Promethean Foundation, these “missing years: in Parson's biography have been established. Parsons did travel widely, but was involved in a number of criminal enterprises as well. He was arrested under the name “John Marvel” in 1907 for graverobbing in Indiana, but escaped with two other prisoners who were later found strangled in a ritualistic fashion. In 1909 Parsons was in Germany, where he is suspected of making contact with the Thule. He traveled to Paris later that year and met Aleister Crowley. The two became close friends. In December of that year Parsons was shot in Paris while attempting to steal a 16th century copy of the Goetia (known as the Paris Goetia) but managed to escape with the book. He recovered from his wounds in Geneva and thereafter left for North Africa. He was suspected of murdering a woman in Tripoli, Libya, but he fled the city before authorities could question him. His exact movements for the next five years are not known.

In 1916 Parsons appeared in Chicago, where he managed to calm a rioting mob by singing an unknown Ancient Egyptian hymn. He assisted Chicago police investigating several murders and began traveling throughout the United States demonstrating his psychic skills to spellbound audiences. During this time he also assisted a number of other police departments. These experiences form the core of his book, The Psychic Investigator.

In 1925 Parsons purchased a large farm house near Pasadena, California and began renovations on the building. The home was of particular interest to Parsons because it was said to be haunted by several spirits. Before he could completely move into the house, it was partially destroyed by fire in 1926. Parsons was killed in the fire.

Ramsey Parsons met Xavier Hellestromme in 1923, but the two are not known to have formed any friendship or other relationship.

Parsons is believed to have been a member of the Choronzon Club.